1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a tubing connector and, in particular, to a connector useful for plastic tubing, particularly medical tubing.
2. Brief Statement of the Prior Art
Connectors for plastic and rubber tubing have been devised for a multiplicity of purposes and applications. In surgically implanted prosthetic devices, connectors are frequently used. These connectors have ranged in complexity from simple suture ties to secure tubing onto a mandrel to sophisticated mechanical fasteners which may require special tools for assembly.
Examples of connectors used for surgical implants can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,537,183 and 4,632,435. These connectors are intended to be used with highly elastic and compressible silicone tubing such as used within the fluid system of a prosthetic device such as an implantable penile prosthesis.
When tubing is part of a prosthetic device, it is desirable that it have a long life with little or no necessity for service and maintenance. A preferred tubing is reinforced silicon which incorporates a helical wound Nylon filament reinforcement, to resist kinking. This tubing is typically composed of two extruded layers of silicone with the helical wound filament confined between them. Although the bond retention between these two layers is quite substantial, a highly localized shear force will separate these layers and damage the tubing.
The tubing connectors of both the aforementioned patents have compression fingers which initially exert radial compression on the tubing and then are driven axially into their final position. Although the fingers on these connectors their final position. Although the fingers on these connectors are rounded to minimize tubing damage, the combination of radial pressure and axial loading can tear the outer silicone layer, initiating separation and loss of tubing integrity.
When a connection is made on a prosthetic device, the surgeon should be provided with visual assurance that the connector is being assembled properly. With one of the aforementioned connectors, it is required to insert the tubing into a blind recess or pocket before engaging the locking member. With no visual indication that the tubing is fully seated, the surgeon can only assume that a secure connection will result.
During the surgical implant procedure, the tubing is temporarily attached on the connector to determine if the proper amount of fluid has been charged to the system and also to test the device for operation under fluid pressure. With both the aforementioned connectors, the surgeon has difficulty with this process. With one connector design, the tubing must be severely expanded as it is forced onto a large tapered mandrel, whereas the other connector design uses a small mandrel of very short proportion, offering minimal tubing retention. For this preassembly, it would be advantageous if the tubing could be assembled and disassembled onto the connector in a facile manner and also retain itself under modest internal fluid pressure for test purposes.
It is sometimes found that a completed connector must be disassembled to make further adjustment to the prosthetic device. These problems usually occur late in the procedure when the surgeon feels most pressured for time. The aforementioned connectors offer no consideration for effective removal and if forcibly dislodged, tubing and connector damage usually results. This places severe restrictions on the surgical procedure as all or part of the prosthetic device may have to be replaced or the surgeon may be forced to compromise a good installation.
Surgeons often prefer to handle and secure the connector with their fingers. This gives them better control over the assembly and provides a sense of feel when the locking members have been finally engaged. The connectors of the aforementioned patents can only be assembled by the application of considerable force, and a connector tool is typically used to drive the end clamps of these connectors into their final positions. These tools preclude determining that the clamps have been finally seated by a sense of feel.
Another difficulty is that the prior tubing connectors for prosthetic devices have external fissures or grooves in which body tissue tends to grow, complicating the removal of the prosthetic device.